“A magical beast? Why is it inside the city?”
Following Dorothy’s gaze, Celia naturally spotted the magical beast that had abruptly materialized outside the window. While she knew Vidona was surrounded by many such creatures, this was her first time witnessing one appear directly within the city walls.
Dorothy, however, merely glanced at the spatial rift beside the beast and immediately understood the cause.
“Concentrated magical energy can disrupt spatial order,” she explained. “Accidents can draw magical beasts from the Silent Forest directly to this location.”
Throughout history, many calamities within human territories had unfolded this way.
Potent magical beasts, swept in by spatial turbulence, would arrive in vulnerable cities, leaving their defenseless inhabitants to become mere sustenance.
“Then why are we still sitting here? Let’s go out and fight the magical beast!”
Isha exclaimed, hoisting her ring blade high. All traces of sleepiness vanished, replaced by a surge of pure excitement. She possessed an undeniable fervor for combat.
Beside her, Aurora observed the magical beast, now fully revealed, and her brow furrowed slightly.
“Isha,” she cautioned, “this beast’s magical fluctuations exceed the third tier. It’s very likely a fourth or even fifth-tier creature. With our current strength… such matters are best left to our seniors.”
“Huh? That strong? Then, then I guess not.”
Isha’s raised hands fell instantly. After a moment of hesitation, she sank back into her chair. She had, quite simply, chickened out.
Had it merely been a third-tier beast, she and Celia might have stood a chance. Against a fourth-tier, however, their survival would be utterly impossible.
Dorothy, in turn, cast an extra glance at Aurora. To be able to sense the magical beast’s tier from such a distance suggested the girl was more formidable than she had initially assumed.
Indeed, this creature was a fourth-tier beast, its aura already approaching the fifth tier, poised for a breakthrough at any moment.
After observing the city’s residents swiftly evacuating towards the beast tide shelter, Dorothy crossed her arms, then turned and walked towards the door.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?”
“Since mere theory isn’t holding your attention,” Dorothy stated, “we’ll observe the battle and I’ll explain as we go.”
This was her improvised solution to keep Isha from dozing off.
The guild’s heroes were already rushing towards the magical beast, and the residents’ evacuation was swift enough. Thus, an impromptu live lesson seemed perfectly feasible.
Unlike observing from a distance within the guild hall, as they drew closer to the magical beast, Celia and the others felt an intense, suffocating pressure.
Its colossal silhouette blotted out the sky, its massive pincers moved with crushing force, and its furry, segmented legs were enough to send shivers down one’s spine with just a glance.
Most terrifying of all, fourth-tier magical energy continuously surged from its body. Merely approaching it made Celia and her companions’ hearts pound in terror.
Facing it now, they stood no chance; in a blink, they would be crushed into pulp by its enormous pincers.
Just then, a fiery streak shot forth from the distance, striking the magical beast with immense force!
Before the sparks had even dissipated, Dorothy shook her head, explaining to the three of them: “Scorpion-type magical beasts typically possess exceptionally tough carapaces and are highly resistant to heat. This kind of flame attack won’t inflict any significant damage.”
Celia nodded, a look of partial understanding on her face. Then, as the sparks faded, she watched the beast’s shell shimmer briefly, completely unscathed.
Simultaneously, a figure appearing in the sky captured her attention. Long, fiery red hair cascaded over their shoulders, their beautiful face held a hint of frost, and scorching flames wreathed their entire form, as if poised to incinerate everything in sight.
“Hero Roland?”
Celia recognized the name of this hero, who held a considerable reputation within the guild. Unfortunately, when Celia had arrived in Vidona, Roland and her squad had already departed the city for a mission, only returning the previous day.
“Is something wrong, Instructor?”
Dorothy had been lost in thought, gazing at Roland in the sky. It wasn’t until Aurora’s curious question that her mind gradually returned to the present.
This hero, surprisingly, reminded her of a former teammate: the same red hair, the same mastery over flames, and even the identical look of disdain directed at the magical beast.
The only difference was the vast disparity in their power. If all had gone as expected, that friend would likely be a seasoned council member of the Hero’s Conclave by now.
Shaking these memories from her mind, Dorothy pointed at Roland and addressed Celia and the others: “She’s overly confident in her own strength. After a single attack, she paused to assess the beast’s condition, not even bothering to maintain her defenses. This will cost her dearly.”
“A magical beast enraged by an attack will undoubtedly retaliate. She’ll be struck because she won’t react in time. However, it’s not entirely bad; this time, at most, she’ll suffer some injuries and learn a lesson. Next time, it could very well be the price of her life.”
“You must understand,” Dorothy emphasized, “when facing such ferocious magical beasts, you cannot let your guard down for a single moment. Otherwise, sooner or later, you will perish by their hand!”
No sooner had Dorothy finished speaking than Roland, still in the sky, was struck by the magical beast’s massive pincer and slammed violently into a nearby building.
This sight filled Celia and the other two with awe. The instructor had undeniably proven through action just how extensive her combat experience was, and the crucial importance of understanding magical beasts. This left the aspiring heroes, who had only recently begun their journey, utterly captivated.
Even Isha felt a fervent desire to delve into theoretical knowledge ignite within her.
“Cough, cough!”
The collapsing building sent up a massive cloud of dust. Roland emerged from the debris, coughing and looking disheveled.
Instead of immediately returning to the battle, she approached Celia and her companions.
“Second-tier heroes? Why are you still here?”
Her beautiful, frost-edged face was now smudged with dirt, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she waved her hand, urging Celia and the others to leave quickly.
“This is a fourth-tier magical beast!” she stressed. “It’s not something you can handle. Get out of here, now!”
When she had been struck, she had sensed the presence of second-tier heroes nearby. In her eyes, a beast of this caliber was utterly beyond their capabilities.
Forget about helping; at their second-tier strength, she’d be grateful if they simply didn’t cause more trouble.
“With me protecting them, they’ll be fine.”
Dorothy stepped in front of them, simultaneously pulling down her hood to obscure her true features.
“You?”
Roland eyed her suspiciously, then understood her role. “You’re their instructor?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never heard of any instructor in the guild who could protect second-tier juniors from a fourth-tier magical beast’s attack,” Roland retorted, her eyes growing colder, her tone increasingly blunt. “Don’t be so arrogant.”
There were only a handful of fourth-tier heroes in the guild, and she knew all of them. This person before her was unfamiliar, and even a fourth-tier hero couldn’t guarantee anyone’s protection.
In Roland’s view, bringing these three aspiring heroes to the battlefield was utterly irresponsible of this instructor. It was playing with their lives!
“We trust our instructor.”
To Roland’s surprise, however, the three aspiring heroes she had intended to protect stepped forward to speak on their instructor’s behalf.
She had no time to waste. Since these aspiring heroes didn’t appreciate her concern, she naturally wouldn’t say anything more.
“…Do as you please.”
After a cold glare at Dorothy, she uttered these words and returned to the battlefield.
Dorothy merely shook her head helplessly, offering no explanation. The next second, as if sensing something, her figure vanished directly from before Celia and the other two.